| Summary: | We consider the approximation of solutions of two complicated, physical systems via the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS). In particular, we discuss the evolution of wave packets and long waves in two physical models. Due to the complicated nature of the equations governing many physical systems and the in-depth knowledge we have for solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, it is advantageous to use approximation results of this kind to model these physical systems. The approximations are simple enough that we can use them to understand the qualitative and quantitative behavior of the solutions, and by justifying them we can show that the behavior of the approximation captures the behavior of solutions to the original equation, at least for long, but finite time.
We first consider a model of the water wave equations which can be approximated by wave packets using the NLS equation. We discuss a new proof that both simplifies and strengthens previous justification results of Schneider and Wayne. Rather than using analytic norms, as was done by Schneider and Wayne, we construct a modified energy functional so that the approximation holds for the full interval of existence of the approximate NLS solution as opposed to a subinterval (as is seen in the analytic case). Furthermore, the proof avoids problems associated with inverting the normal form transform by working with a modified energy functional motivated by Craig and Hunter et al.
We then consider the Klein-Gordon-Zakharov system and prove a long wave approximation result. In this case there is a non-trivial resonance that cannot be eliminated via a normal form transform. By combining the normal form transform for small Fourier modes and using analytic norms elsewhere, we can get a justification result on the order 1 over epsilon squared time scale.
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